South Africa’s Foreign Minister, Naledi Pandor, declares that individuals holding dual citizenship in Israel and South Africa who serve in the IDF will face immediate arrest.
“I’ve already issued a statement alerting those who are South African and who are fighting alongside or in the Israel Defence Forces: ‘We are ready. When you come home, we’re going to arrest you,'” the minister stated.
In December, the Pretoria Foreign Ministry issued a warning to its citizens residing in Israel, advising them that joining the IDF could result in legal repercussions in South Africa for breaching international law.
“The South African Government is gravely concerned by reports that some South African citizens and permanent residents have joined or are considering joining the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) in the war in Gaza and in the other Occupied Palestinian Territories,” the ministry remarked in a statement.
Addressing an audience at the African National Conference (ANC), Pandor stated that the government is actively engaged in making a case at the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing Israel of perpetrating genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.
“But you must be activists. You must also play your role,” she told the audience. “You must say thank you, El Al. Goodbye.” She continued, stating that the Israeli carrier ceased their flights to South Africa due to lack of passengers.
In her speech, the South African minister, who is Muslim, highlighted that the ANC had received support in the past from Palestinians in their quest for freedom and in their resistance against colonialism.
she said, “We’ve been together in struggle for many, many, decades. The people of Palestine trained the freedom fighters of the liberation movement.”
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